Improved railroad-switch



MW I-Av Aw---ll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WHARTON, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5l ,373, dated December 5, 1865.

To all lwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WHARTON, Jr., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have in` vented an Improvementin Operating Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,l

' reference bein g had to the accompanyin gdraw ings, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon. f

My invention consists ot' mechanism fully described hereinafter for the purpose ot' restoring switches (after they have been moved in line with the rails of a turn-out) to a position in line with the rails ot' a main track, and ot' locking the switch in that position should the switch-tender neglect his duties, on the due. performance of which, as regards the operating of ordinary switching apparatus, the prevention of serious accidents depends.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

0n reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification- Figure 1 is a side view of a railroad-switch with my improved apparatus for operating the same; Fig. 2, a plan view of Fig. l; Figs. 3 and 4, vertical sections on the line l 2, Fig. 2, looking in the direction ofthe arrow 3 Figs. 5 and 6, views of the retaining and releasing device drawn to an enlarged scale.

Similar let-ters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A and A', Fig. 2, represent the rails ot' the main track of a railroad, and B and B' those of the siding or turn-out. D and D are the two rails ot' the switch, each being attached at the rear end to a shoe, a, as usual, and the two rails being connected together by appropriate number ot' ordinary clamp-bars, b, so that the two rails may be moved simultaneously and made to coincide at the front end either with the rails A and A of the main track or the rails B and B of the turnout.

To 'one side ot' the track and adjacent to the switch is secured a suitable frame, E, and to a pin, e, on this frame is hung a bell-crank lever, F, the short arm of which is connected by a rod, G, to the clamp-bar b ot' the switch, at or near the front end ot' the same. The long arm of the bell-crank lever F passes between the frame E and a guard-plate, G', secured to the said frame, so that while the lever can be operated freely all undue lateral movement is obviated, the long arm being furnished with such a weight that it will exert sufficient force through the lever, when the latter is released, to move the switch from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a point where its rails will coincide with those ofthe main track.

At the end ot' the frame E is loosely hung the pendulous catch H, the tendency ot' which is to maintain itselfin the position shown in Fig. 1, but which, on the depression of the long arm of the lever F, is moved by the latter on one side until the said lever passes the shouldert' of the catch, when the latter will instantly resume its former position, prevent the rising v-ot`thelever,and insure the maintenance of the rails ofthe switch in a position coincident with the rails A and A ofthe main track.

To lugs m m on the guard-plate G is hung a lever, K, the long arm ot' which serves as a handle for the operator, the short arm 7c being ofthe cam-shape. (Best observed on reference to the enlarged views, Figs. 5 and 6.) When the lever K is elevated to a horizontal or nearly horizontal position the short arm resting on a plate, p, secured to the top of the frame E, serves as a stop for the weighted arm of the lever F and prevents its depression beyond a point illustrated in Fig. L -that is, thepointto I which it has been raised-in order to move the switch to a position in line with the rails B and B ot the turn-out; but it should be understood that the short arm k ot' the lever I( serves as a stop for the lever F only so long as the long arm of the said lever K is held in the hands of the operator, for the moment he releases this lever the weight of its long arm and the shape of its short arm are such that it will at once fall and assume the position shown in Fig. 6, thereby releasing the lever F, permitting it to fall, and, in conjunction with its weight, to automatically restore the rails ofthe switch to a position in line with those of the main track.

The ordinary device for operating switches consists ot a powerful lever guided laterally and connected to the switch by a rod, there being pins or other retaining devices for holding the lever in either ofthe positions to which it may be moved.

W hen it becomes the duty ot' the operator to move the switch so as to be in line with the turn-ont he operates the lever accordingly,

and then applies the retaining device. Otherwise the shocks imparted to the lever by the passage of locomotives or cars over the switch would prevent him from maintaining such a hold of the lever as to insure the retention of the switch in its -proper position during the passage of the locomotives or cars over the same. After the passage of the locomotive or cars onto the turn-out, it is theduty of the operator to restore the switch to its original position in line with the main track. In order to d0 this it is necessary for him to detach the device which retains the lever, then move the latter, and again secure it by the same or by another device.

Although the switch-tender may be, in general, most careful in the performance of his duties, his attention may be distracted by unusual occurrences in the immediate neighborhood, and he may leave his post, neglecting to restore thc switch to its proper position or to securetheleveraftertheswitchhasbeen moved to the desired point. In either case it will be evident that the most serious accidents may result from the negligence of the switch-tender.

The object of my invention has been twofold: first, to insure the restoration of the switch to its proper position in line with the main track should the switch-tender neglect his duties, and, second, the certain locking of the switch after it has been thus moved.

After the switch-ten derhas moved the switch in line with the rails of the turn-out he raises the long arm of the lever K, so that the short arm 7c may be presented as a stop for the lever F. Should the switch-tender, after the locomotive, 86e., has passed onto the turn-out, leave his post and neglect to restore the switch to a position inline with the main track, the lever K will instantly drop to the position shown in Fig. 6; the lever F will be released, the switch will be automatically restored to its proper instance, a cog-wheel may be attached to or v form a part of the lever F and gear into a rack connected to the switch.- rIhe frame-work,

moreover, and the retaining and releasing le.

ver may be modied.

It is not absolutelyindispensable that the switch should be restored to a position in line with the main track by a weight, f, attached to the lever F, -as it will be evident that weights may be so arranged and so employed in connection with chains or cords and pulleys as to act directly on the switch for the purpose of effecting the desired automatic movement.

I therefore claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A lever, F, for operatin g a switch, in combination with the lever K or an equivalent device, which, when held in a proper position by the switch-tender, will serve to retain the said operating-lever, but which, on being released, will permit the rails of the switch to be automatically restored to a position in line with those of the main track, all substantially as described.

2. In combination with the above, the pendulous catch H or other equivalent locking device, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub scribin g witnesses.

WIM. WHARTON, JR.

Witnesses:

HENRY HowsoN, W. J. R. DELANY. 

